Ling Tian Sword God

Chapter 77: Chapter 76: Dust Settles_1

One by one, figures stepped into the arena, forming small groups. These groups were obviously organized by their respective sects. For the Divine Intent Sect, however, its disciples seemed to be avoiding Ling Chen, standing far away from him, as if afraid he would bring trouble upon them.

Ling Chen stood alone. The disciples of the various sects and Aristocratic Families were all staring at him intently.

Yuan Tianxing looked at the spectacle in the martial arts training field and couldn’t help but shake his head, a hint of regret on his face. ”I didn’t expect the Divine Intent Sect’s disciples to be so disunited. It seems that after the major crisis they endured, the spirit of the sect has weakened and is no longer as brilliant as it once was.”

Lin Ya ignored everyone else. Her eyes focused on Ling Chen as if frozen in place. ”This Ling Chen... is he the son of Supreme Sky Feather and Liu Xiling?”

Hearing the words ”Supreme Sky Feather,” Yuan Tianxing’s face also turned solemn. He nodded and, somewhat respectfully, replied, ”Exactly.”

Lin Ya watched Ling Chen, who had claimed a spot all to himself. A ripple of interest flickered across her beautiful eyes. He does bear some resemblance to his father, she mused. I wonder how strong he really is.

Ling Tianyu, their generation’s idol, had defeated all the best experts in the Martial World in his thirties and become the Martial Arts Supreme. Such an accomplishment was unparalleled in hundreds of years.

Regrettably, such talent often invites envy. This heroic man was ultimately killed in a conspiracy.

As Ling Chen is his son, he should have inherited some of his father’s legacy, Lin Ya thought.

”Hard to say,” Yuan Tianxing said, staring at the situation within the red circle and analyzing it. ”Ling Chen’s current cultivation is only at the Martial Artist First Realm. Among these Sect Disciples, there are many stronger than him. Kong Xuan, Ouyang Lie, Wei Xuan, and Bai Susu are all exceptional. Even the least powerful among them has the pinnacle strength of the Martial Artist Third Realm. If nothing unexpected happens, the four of them will be selected this time.”

”Kong Xuan and Ouyang Lie?” Lin Ya’s gaze fell upon the two. She then shook her head. Compared to those two, Lin Ya would rather have Ling Chen as this time’s guard.

From the beginning, Ling Chen hadn’t given her so much as a second glance, let alone shown any disrespect in his eyes.

However, the principle of this selection was that strength prevailed. If one’s strength wasn’t sufficient, even managing to get to the Demonic Sound Valley would be more perilous than beneficial. They didn’t need anyone to drag them down.

At this moment, in the martial arts training field, seven or eight people had already been blasted out of the red circle. They were mostly disciples from Aristocratic Families, and nearly a third of them had already been eliminated.

BANG!

A disciple from the Fire Blade Sect clashed palms with Kong Xuan. The force of their impact exploded outward, creating a massive shockwave that swept in all directions.

PUFF!

The disciple was sent flying, causing Lin Ya and Yuan Tianxing to narrow their eyes slightly. The direction the disciple was flying was precisely where Ling Chen was stationed.

Ling Chen’s figure remained still. Only when the disciple was about to hit the ground did Ling Chen move. He extended his left hand and released a burst of True Qi, effortlessly dissipating the force of the fall.

Although the Fire Blade Sect disciple still flew out of the red circle, he did not suffer any severe injuries.

”Thank you!” The Fire Blade Sect disciple clasped his fist to Ling Chen, his face showing gratitude.

Yuan Tianxing appeared perplexed. Why hasn’t he made a move yet? Almost all of the four Guest Qing Orders have been snatched. Only the last one is left, and the allocated time is almost up. Is Ling Chen so calm because he doesn’t want a Guest Qing Order? Without it, how can he pass the selection?

At this moment, Lin Ya’s eyebrows raised. It seems he’s about to make a move, she thought. In her line of sight, Ling Chen finally moved. And once he did, it was with the swiftness of a thunderstorm. He darted out like an arrow.

Ling Chen’s target was the last Guest Qing Order. Ouyang Lie already considered this token his.

”You’re seeking death! Blaze Wheel Domineering Saber!” Ouyang Lie roared as his body erupted with scorching True Qi. He swung his saber, and its light manifested like a partial sun, bearing down and seemingly incinerating everything. Those nearby quickly retreated, leaping away to avoid getting burned or caught in the calamity.

This blade technique was Top Grade of the Earth Class, overwhelmingly powerful. Ouyang Lie had cultivated this technique to ninety percent mastery, demonstrating its near-perfect execution.

Ling Chen stood motionless until Ouyang Lie’s saber light was within three feet of him. Only then did he counter with his sword. The strike seemed ordinary at first glance, but it targeted vital points, leaving a trail of sword shadows in its wake.

This was the tenth sword of the Thirteen God’s Gate Swords: Infinite Shadows.

The saber light and Sword Light collided. Their intertwining energies clashed and exploded continuously, creating bursts of light like fireworks.

PUH!

To everyone’s surprise, Ouyang Lie was the first to falter. The sleeve on his right arm exploded, revealing a bulging, muscular limb. Blood oozed from it as a sickening crunch of bone breaking sounded from within.

He couldn’t stop a mouthful of blood from erupting, and Ouyang Lie was sent flying back in astonishment.

SWISH!

In a flash, Ling Chen appeared before the wooden stake and snatched the Guest Qing Order.

”Damn it, that’s my token!” Seeing the Guest Qing Order fall into Ling Chen’s hands, Ouyang Lie was practically apoplectic. He wouldn’t give up so easily and charged again. His saber light, filled with an explosive aura, slashed towards Ling Chen once more.

”Scram!” Ling Chen didn’t even look, swinging his Heavenly Emperor Heavy Sword. This sword strike was noticeably faster than Ouyang Lie’s blade. Under numerous shocked gazes, Ling Chen’s Sword Light struck Ouyang Lie’s chest before he could react, sending him flying.

Ouyang Lie flew directly out of the red circle, eliminated from the competition.

What?! Both Yuan Tianxing and Lin Ya were taken aback, disbelief coloring their faces.

Absolute silence enveloped the entire martial arts training field. All eyes were fixated on Ling Chen.

Ouyang Lie, the renowned Fire Cloud Blade Master, had been so utterly defeated by Ling Chen.

Yuan Tianxing was astonished. Ouyang Lie is at the peak of the Martial Artist Third Realm. Even if he wasn’t using his full strength, how could he lose so decisively? he wondered. Both are renowned geniuses, yet one was defeated by another who is supposedly weaker. It can only mean that, despite both being called geniuses, the gap between them is quite large.

Kong Xuan felt a wave of relief. Good thing I didn’t challenge him, he thought. Although he had recently reached the Martial Artist Fourth Realm, seeing the strength Ling Chen had just displayed, he wasn’t confident he could win.

As for Wei Xuan and Bai Susu, their expressions turned grave as they looked at Ling Chen. It seems this former top genius of the Martial World isn’t just famous for nothing, they thought.

The way the Divine Intent Sect disciples looked at Ling Chen changed; their earlier disdain had turned into admiration.

Ling Chen remained indifferent to all this. This was the brutal reality: power decided everything. If he had been defeated by Ouyang Lie, these same people would likely not have hesitated to trample on him.

With the four Guest Qing Orders claimed, no one else dared to step forward to compete; they simply lacked the strength.

The four candidates were thus determined.

Ouyang Lie’s face was extremely grim. He stared daggers at Ling Chen and snarled, ”You damn bastard, watch yourself! My senior brother, ’Fire Demon’ Duan Guiyun, is training nearby. You’d better hope you don’t run into him, or you’ll learn what a fate worse than death truly means!”